Authentication method and recording medium

Abstract

An authentication method is performed by a device to authenticate a license of software that is installed on the device and managed by a server. The authentication method includes: presenting unique authentication information that is unique to the software; receiving input of server authentication information generated by the server based on: license information of the software managed by the server in association with the unique authentication information; and the unique authentication information; and authenticating the license of the software based on the unique authentication information and the inputted server authentication information.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . An authentication method performed by a device to authenticate a license of software that is installed on the device and managed by a server, the authentication method comprising:
 presenting unique authentication information to a user, the unique authentication information being unique to the software;   receiving input of server authentication information on the device, the server authentication information being generated by the server based on license information of the software and the unique authentication information transmitted to the server, the license information being managed by the server in association with the unique authentication information;   generating device authentication information based on the unique authentication information and the license information inputted on the device; and   authenticating the license of the software based on the unique authentication information and the server authentication information inputted on the device,   wherein the receiving of the input of the server authentication information on the device includes:
 presenting a correct symbol and a dummy symbol to the user, the correct symbol being included in the device authentication information and the dummy symbol being not included in the device authentication information; and 
 receiving input of a symbol selected as the server authentication information from among the correct symbol and the dummy symbol. 
   
     
     
         2 . The authentication method according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 receiving input of the license information on the device,   wherein the authenticating includes authenticating the license of the software by comparing the server authentication information inputted on the device with the device authentication information.   
     
     
         3 . The authentication method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving input of additional authentication information on the device, the additional authentication information being generated from the license information by the server;   extracting the license information from the additional authentication information inputted on the device; and   generating the device authentication information based on the license information extracted in the extracting and the unique authentication information,   wherein the authenticating includes authenticating the license of the software by comparing the server authentication information inputted on the device with the device authentication information.   
     
     
         4 . The authentication method according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the receiving of the input of the additional authentication information on the device includes:   presenting all possible symbols to the user, the all possible symbols being included in the additional authentication information; and   receiving input of a symbol selected as the additional authentication information from among the all possible symbols.   
     
     
         5 . The authentication method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the server authentication information is generated by the server encrypting the license information using a server encryption key generated from the unique authentication information,   the authentication method further comprises:   generating a device encryption key from the unique authentication information; and   decrypting the server authentication information inputted on the device using the device encryption key, and   the authenticating includes authenticating the license of the software depending on whether the server authentication information inputted on the device is correctly decrypted using the device encryption key.   
     
     
         6 . The authentication method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the server authentication information is generated by the server encrypting the license information using a server encryption key generated from the unique authentication information, and   the generating of the device authentication information includes:
 generating a device encryption key from the unique authentication information; and 
 encrypting the license information inputted on the device using the device encryption key. 
   
     
     
         7 . The authentication method according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein each of the server authentication information and the device authentication information is part of encrypted text.   
     
     
         8 . The authentication method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the receiving of the input of the server authentication information on the device includes receiving the input of the server authentication information divided into a plurality of items separately on a plurality of screens.   
     
     
         9 . The authentication method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the presenting of the unique authentication information includes displaying a graphic code including the unique authentication information.   
     
     
         10 . The authentication method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the server authentication information includes a random number.   
     
     
         11 . The authentication method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the unique authentication information includes a random number.   
     
     
         12 . The authentication method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the license information includes information indicating a span of the license of the software.   
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for causing a computer to execute the authentication method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . An authentication method performed by a device to authenticate a license of software that is installed on the device and managed by a server, the authentication method comprising:
 receiving input of server authentication information on the device, the server authentication information being generated by the server based on license information of the software and unique authentication information transmitted to the server, the license information being managed by the server in association with the unique authentication information, and the unique authentication information being unique to the software;   generating device authentication information based on the unique authentication information and the license information inputted on the device; and   authenticating the license of the software based on the unique authentication information and the server authentication information inputted on the device,   wherein the receiving of the input of the server authentication information on the device includes:
 presenting a correct symbol and a dummy symbol to a user, the correct symbol being included in the device authentication information and the dummy symbol being not included in the device authentication information; and 
 receiving input of a symbol selected as the server authentication information from among the correct symbol and the dummy symbol.